MISSISSAUGA — Canada’s Kerri Einarson posted a 13-2 win over Nicky Kaufman of the Northwest Territories on Wednesday to secure a playoff spot at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Three teams in Pool B all secured their playoff berths later in the day.
Manitoba’s Beth Peterson, Nova Scotia’s Christina Black and Alberta’s Selena Sturmay earned round-robin victories in the afternoon session to make the cut.
Peterson beat Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik 8-4, Black defeated Prince Edward Island’s Amanda Power 6-3 and Sturmay topped Newfoundland and Labrador’s Mackenzie Mitchell 11-6.
Another session was scheduled for Wednesday night at Paramount Fine Foods Centre.
The top three teams in each nine-team pool qualify for the playoffs starting Friday. The final is scheduled for Sunday.
Einarson scored four points in the second end and never trailed in her game. The four-time national women’s curling champion improved to 6-1.
“I’ve been feeling really good,” she said. “We only had one game where we were on the wrong side of the inch and we couldn’t buy a shot. But that happens sometimes and our last two games we’ve really come back and been playing well.”
Einarson was in second place in Pool A behind Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes (6-0), the first team to book its playoff ticket and the lone rink to beat the Canada side.
In other early games, Taylour Stevens of Nova Scotia outscored British Columbia’s Taylor Reese-Hansen 11-10 in an extra end and Saskatchewan’s Jolene Campbell beat Yukon’s Bayly Scoffin 10-4.
Ontario’s Hailey Armstrong needed an extra end to complete an 8-5 win over Quebec’s Jolianne Fortin.
Armstrong, who shot a game-low 63 per cent, had hammer in the 11th and made a game-winning hit for the victory.
“A lot of pressure, the heartbeat is going,” Armstrong said. “I’m just happy that I had a hit, to be honest, and just picked it out. We’re a drawing team as well but we’re a really good hitting team.
“So that was my shot of choice. So I liked that.”
New Brunswick’s Melodie Forsythe doubled Nunavut’s Julia Weagle 10-5 in the other afternoon game.
Peterson was the lone unbeaten team in Pool B at 6-0. Black was next at 6-1 and Sturmay was 5-1.
In the battle for the last remaining playoff spot in Pool A, Stevens and Armstrong took 4-2 records into the evening session. Campbell was next at 3-3.
The Scotties champion will represent Canada at the world women’s curling championship in March at Calgary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2026.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
